Patent GB-1181689-A (GB)
Title: Process and Devices for the Continuous Finishing of Textiles
IPC: D06B19/00
Filed: 1967-06-13
Abstract: 1,181,689. Treating textiles. VEPA A.G. 13 June, 1967 [9 July, 1966], No. 27135/67. Headings D1L and D1P. Fabric comprising cellulosic and/or synthetic fibres are continuously padded with a liquor containing a heat-curable synthetic resin, squeezed and cured optionally after drying, by drawing through a sufficient volume of a heated gas, e.g. heated air, steam, or an air/steam mixture at 140‹-190‹C., at such a rate as to cure the resin without causing migration thereof in the fibres. The fabric is thereby rendered stiff, crease-resistant, shrinkproof or water-proof. The fabric may be woven, non woven or knitted and may contain cotton or viscose rayon fibres. The heatcurable synthetic resin may be an etherified melamine-formaldehyde condensate and the impregnating liquor may also contain a catalyst e.g. zinc chloride, softener aurea-formaldehyde condensate, filler, water-repellent, e.g. paraffin or silicone emulsions, optical brightener or other auxiliary agent, e.g. a starch product, cellulose ether, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide or partially saponified polyvinyl acetate. The fabric may be supported by sieves e.g. sieve drums which may be covered with a seamless fine wire mesh on which the fabric rests, which serve as carrying and conveying elements, the heated gas being passed through the fabric in such a way that it is forced against the sieves. Drying and curing may be done in a single process on the sieve drums or curing and fibresetting of the synthetic fibre portion may be done in a single process. In Fig. 1 fabric 1 leaving a last wash bowl 2 is squeezed in squeezer 3, impregnated with the liquor containing the heat-curable synthetic resin in suction drum bath 4, squeezed in squeezer 5 and guided by creel 16, guiding device 17 and rollers 18 to drying and setting device 6 having a heat insulated housing subdivided by means of a lengthwise partition into a treatment chamber and fan chamber, the sieve drums 11 in the treatment chamber provided as conveying elements on which the fabric is guided alternately and penetrated by heated gas. The suction draft is interrupted at those drum portions which are not covered with fabric by means of baffles 12 so that the whole volume of recirculated air is passed through half the drum jacket and through the fabric. A fan wheel is correlated to the faces of the sieve drums in the fan chamber, the air sucked out of the drum being blown by the fan wheel into heater batteries arranged above and beneath the fan wheel so that it is heated again and returned to the treatment chamber where it is slightly retained by sieve sheets 15 and equalized before it is returned to the sieve drum. The fabric is then passed to conditioning compartment 19 where it is cooled down and provided with a certain residual moisture content, and by means of plaiting device 21 is packed on to wagon 20. The drive of rollers 18 is infinitely variable independent of the sieve drum drive so that the fabric may be passed to the first drum 11 with overfeed so that if it shrinks during the treatment there is no tension on the sieve drums.